SIMPLY PUT:

Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds produced by a variety of plants. Terpenes are what give each flower, herb and fruit its own unique scent and flavor. Every day, everywhere you go, you encounter terpenes. When you zest a lemon, you smell terpenes. Open a jar full of herbs, what you are smelling is the terpenes. Stop and smell the roses? More like stop and smell the terpenes.

While there is so much to learn, what you need to know is that terpenes are aromatic compounds that when inhaled, applied to the skin, or consumed, they enhance our experience and greatly influence flavors and aromas.

 

A BIT MORE COMPLEX:

Terpenes are hydrocarbons present in essential oils produced by nature. There are more than 20,000 terpenes in existence. Plants, animals, microbes, and fungi produce terpenes to carry out necessary biological functions. This diverse class of compounds serve as vitamins, hormones, pheromones, and as part of the immune system.

One way to think of botanical terpenes is as building blocks created by plants. These building blocks are blended with other aromatic compounds in countless ways in order to produce complex essential oils, such as Lavender, Rose, Sandalwood, etc.

In addition to unique aromas, terpenes play an equally important role in influencing the way we taste, smell and feel when a plant, herb or fruit is consumed. This happens because terpenes interact synergistically with other botanical compounds and humans hormones to create a phenomenon referred to as the “entourage effect” that magnifies the benefits of the plant’s individual components.